Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Students enrolled in our course are encouraged to write for the course blog, and to read and comment on posts from students at other participating universities. The blog offers students the opportunity to analyze current events through the lens of the theory and case studies they engage with through the course.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

A Nobel Laureate Suspended, A Journalist Jailed: Tunisia’s Slide into Competitive Authoritarianism

On April 24, 2026, Tunisian President Kais Saied’s government suspended the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH). This organization shared the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for its role in saving the country’s democratic transition. The same day, authorities detained Zied...

On the ousting of Orbán

On the lessons learned from Orbán’s ouster.

Democracy in Exchange for Security; What is Left When the Concert Ends?

Shakira’s sold-out El Salvador residency exemplifies how Bukele uses high-profile events to showcase his dramatic security transformation while obscuring the democratic erosion, economic decline, and human rights abuses that made it possible.

The Invisible Line: El Salvador in the Gray Zone between Democracy and Dictatorship

Apr 26, 2026 | George Mason University

Stealth authoritarianism is the process in which political elites gradually erode democratic systems not through overt force but by manipulation of the public’s fear. In...

The Quiet Death of Democracy: Benin

Apr 26, 2026 | George Mason University

What comes to mind when you hear the word "democracy"? Most people would mention elections. Elections are important for democracy, but they alone do not create it. Schmitter...

Israel’s Nation-State Law and the Fight Over Belonging

Apr 20, 2026 | Suffolk University

Israel’s Nation-State Law and the Fight Over Belonging Every democracy is based on a single premise: equality. That is why Israel’s 2018 Nation-State Law matters. In July 2018, the Israeli Knesset...

Can a Democracy Die With 90% Approval?

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University

Every morning, we stop by a cafe and grab an iced Americano. We pay in a hurry, walk away in a hurry, and rarely stop to think about where that coffee came from or how it was made. That’s because...

Is Mexico’s Democracy Slipping?

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University, Universities

Is Mexico’s Democracy Slipping? Yehyun Kim Why choose this case for study: Mexico is a fascinating and critical case for this study democratic backsliding....

India’s Democratic Decline: Political Elites and Institutional Weakening

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University

These days, democratic consolidation has become increasingly difficult, and democracy itself is gradually declining around the world. In particular, it is no longer a rare situation for a country...

Inclusion vs. Liberalism: The Two Faces of Bolivian Democracy

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University, Universities

Introduction Did Bolivia's democracy advance or retreat? Answering this question requires not just looking at the election results but also understanding the two conflicting trends of institutional...

Peru’s Democracy Wasn’t Taken. It Was Given Away.

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University

The night he went after Congress, the courts, and the constitution all at once, most people backed him for it. That detail tends to stop people. It should. April 1992, Lima. A sitting president...

Would democracy survive from Stealth Authoritarianism?

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University

It’s a wolf! A wolf in sheep’s clothing! The wolf known as Stealth Authoritarianism has now evolved and is attempting to be the shepherd of sheep. Its ulterior motive is to become a shepherd and...

Democracy in Name, Fear in Reality: Mexico

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University, Universities

What if a country is called a democracy, but many people are too afraid to vote? Mexico is seen as a democratic country. It has elections, political parties and a constitution. But many people feel...

Thailand’s Hybrid Regime: Democracy Shaped by Military and Monarchy by Ashleigh Sodee

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University

Thailand’s political system is also shaped by the continued influence of the monarchy, particularly under King Maha Vajiralongkorn, which makes it distinct from many of its Southeast Asian...